Phys.org news tagged with:reproductive behaviorhttp://phys.org/
en-usPhys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine.New research explores scent communication in polar bearsNew research indicates that scent associated with polar bear paws conveys information that may affect the animals' social and reproductive behavior. This chemical form of communication was likely shaped by the environmental constraints of Arctic sea ice.http://phys.org/news/2014-11-explores-scent-polar.html
Ecology Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:25:36 EDTnews334326330A bit of good luck: A new species of burying beetle from the Solomon Islands ArchipelagoScientists discovered a new species of burying beetle, Nicrophorus efferens. Burying beetles are well known to most naturalists because of their large size, striking black and red colors, and interesting reproductive behaviors - they bury small vertebrate carcasses which their offspring eat in an underground crypt, guarded by both parents. The study was published in the open access journal Zookeys.http://phys.org/news/2013-06-bit-good-luck-species-beetle.html
Plants & Animals Fri, 21 Jun 2013 11:11:12 EDTnews291031865Evolution shapes new rules for ant behaviorIn ancient Greece, the city-states that waited until their own harvest was in before attacking and destroying a rival community's crops often experienced better long-term success.http://phys.org/news/2013-05-evolution-ant-behavior.html
Evolution Wed, 15 May 2013 13:00:14 EDTnews287841336Puma tracking reveals impact of habitat fragmentation(Phys.org) —In the first published results of more than three years of tracking mountain lions in the Santa Cruz Mountains, UC Santa Cruz researchers document how human development affects the predators' habits.http://phys.org/news/2013-04-puma-tracking-reveals-impact-habitat.html
Ecology Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:50:03 EDTnews285492270Acoustic monitoring of Atlantic cod reveals clues to spawning behaviorFor decades researchers have recorded sounds from whales and other marine mammals, using a variety of methods including passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) to better understand how these animals use sound to interact with each other and with the environment. Now, for the first time, researchers report using this technology to record spawning cod in the wild.http://phys.org/news/2013-03-acoustic-atlantic-cod-reveals-clues.html
Ecology Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:57:33 EDTnews283190234Risk management in fish: How cichlids prevent their young from being eatenFor a variety of reasons, many humans choose to adopt children. More surprisingly, adoption is fairly widespread in the animal kingdom, even though it would seem to counteract the basic premise of Darwin's theory of evolution, which suggests that animals should raise as many of their own offspring as possible. Understanding the rationale for adoption has challenged theorists for generations. Franziska Schaedelin and colleagues at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna now describe a new approach to the problem. The scientists present findings that suggest parents of fish exchange young with other parents to reduce the chances that their entire brood will be predated. The results are published in the current issue of the journal Behavioral Ecology.http://phys.org/news/2013-03-fish-cichlids-young-eaten.html
Plants & Animals Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:27:52 EDTnews282900463Diatom sex pheromone isolated and characterized(Phys.org)—Diatoms (unicellular photosynthetic organisms) reproduce through asexual cell division alternating with short periods of sexual reproduction. A German and Belgian team has now determined that pheromones play an important role in this. As the researchers report in the journal Angewandte Chemie, they were able to isolate and structurally characterize one of these lures.http://phys.org/news/2012-12-diatom-sex-pheromone-isolated-characterized.html
Biochemistry Fri, 14 Dec 2012 08:50:02 EDTnews274694220Male chimpanzees choose their allies carefullyStudy finds male chimpanzees may increase their chances of siring offspring by recognizing the importance of third-party relationships.http://phys.org/news/2012-12-male-chimpanzees-allies-carefully.html
Plants & Animals Mon, 03 Dec 2012 11:44:01 EDTnews273757408Orsini's viper: Growth or reproduction?Orsini's viper, a rare and protected species at risk of extinction in France, has an original reproductive strategy. In alternate years, it switches between reproductive and non-reproductive behavior. This strategy has recently been uncovered by a team from the Laboratoire Ecologie et Evolution (CNRS/UPMC/ENS), the Centre de Recherche en Ecologie Expérimentale et Predictive (CNRS/ENS), and the Université Paris Sorbonne. Based on a detailed analysis of field data collected over thirty years (on Mont Ventoux) and on mathematical modeling, the researchers demonstrated the advantages of this life history strategy. Far from being a constraint on the species, it allows Orsini's viper to make a better quality investment in reproduction, with no physiological cost or risk to parental survival. These results were published online in the journal Functional Ecology on November 23.http://phys.org/news/2012-11-orsini-viper-growth-reproduction.html
Plants & Animals Wed, 28 Nov 2012 08:18:10 EDTnews273313070Neurotransmitters linked to mating behavior are shared by mammals and wormsWhen it comes to sex, animals of all shapes and sizes tend behave in predictable ways. There may be a chemical reason for that. New research from Rockefeller University has shown that chemicals in the brain—neuropeptides known as vasopressin and oxytocin—play a role in coordinating mating and reproductive behavior in animals ranging from humans to fish to invertebrates.http://phys.org/news/2012-10-neurotransmitters-linked-behavior-mammals-worms.html
Plants & Animals Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:05:02 EDTnews270461086Long-term study examines social network, 'freindships' of 45 female baboons(Phys.org)—Some pairs of female baboons form relationships that look a lot like "friendships," a group of researchers has found.http://phys.org/news/2012-10-long-term-social-network-freindships-female.html
Plants & Animals Wed, 17 Oct 2012 07:25:51 EDTnews269677542Single spider dads caring for eggs suffer no disadvantages despite parenting costsSingle fatherhood is a challenge many arachnids undertake, guarding eggs laid by females despite the costs to their own health and mating benefits, but the news may not be all bad for these dads.http://phys.org/news/2012-10-spider-dads-eggs-disadvantages-parenting.html
Plants & Animals Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:00:30 EDTnews269106551Traumatic mating may offer fitness benefits for female sea slugsFemale sea slugs mate more frequently than required to produce offspring, despite the highly traumatic and biologically costly nature of their copulation, as reported Aug. 22 in the open access journal PLOS ONE.http://phys.org/news/2012-08-traumatic-benefits-female-sea-slugs.html
Plants & Animals Wed, 22 Aug 2012 17:12:15 EDTnews264874318Mantis males engage in riskier mating behavior if deprived of female accessMale praying mantises are more likely to engage in risky mating behavior if they have not had recent access to females, as reported Apr. 25 in the open access journal PLoS ONE. Female praying mantises are known for their cannibalistic behavior toward their mates, and males take a large risk when they attempt to reproduce.http://phys.org/news/2012-04-mantis-males-engage-riskier-behavior.html
Plants & Animals Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:04:26 EDTnews254592228Scientists observe reproductive seasonality in male giant pandasA three-year study of giant pandas published today in Biology of Reproduction's Papers-in-Press reveals that reproductive seasonality exists not only in female pandas, but in male pandas as well.http://phys.org/news/2012-04-scientists-reproductive-seasonality-male-giant.html
Plants & Animals Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:00:04 EDTnews252768127Early growth trajectories have long-term effects on fitness, study finds(PhysOrg.com) -- Food supply and environmental conditions affect the growth rates of organisms, which in turn influence future survival and reproduction. A new study by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the University of Glasgow shows how mathematical models can be used to characterize and quantify these effects.http://phys.org/news/2011-10-early-growth-trajectories-long-term-effects.html
Plants & Animals Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:14:36 EDTnews239012046Not tonight deer: A new birth control vaccine helps reduce urban deer damageA new birth control vaccine for white-tailed deer -- a growing nuisance in urban areas for gardens and landscaping -- eliminates the dangerous reproductive behavior behind the annual autumn surge in automobile-deer collisions. The vaccine, just becoming commercially available in some states, was the topic of a report here today at the 242nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).http://phys.org/news/2011-08-tonight-deer-birth-vaccine-urban.html
Plants & Animals Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:03:25 EDTnews234014589Solar industry responsible for lead emissions in developing countriesSolar power is not all sunshine. It has a dark side -- particularly in developing countries, according to a new study by a University of Tennessee, Knoxville, engineering professor.http://phys.org/news/2011-08-solar-industry-responsible-emissions-countries.html
Energy & Green Tech Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:29:22 EDTnews234008206Parasite uses the power of sexual attraction to trick rats into becoming cat food(PhysOrg.com) -- Could it be love? Rats infected with the parasite Toxoplasma seem to lose their fear of cats &#150; or at least cat urine. Now Stanford researchers have discovered that the brains of those infected, fearless male rats show activity in the region that normally triggers a mating response when they meet a female rat. But that does not necessarily mean the rats find cats sexually appealing. It's a trick that Toxoplasma plays to have the rats eaten by cats, a clever manipulation of rat behavior that is part of the parasite's reproduction scheme.http://phys.org/news/2011-08-parasite-infected-rodents-cat-odor.html
Plants & Animals Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:18:17 EDTnews232820282Mating rivalry among furred and feathered: Variety is spice of lifeBirds do it. Bees do it. Fish, lobsters, frogs and lizards do it, too. But when it comes to securing a mate in the animal world, variety is literally the spice of life.http://phys.org/news/2011-05-rivalry-furred-feathered-variety-spice.html
Plants & Animals Wed, 25 May 2011 10:48:48 EDTnews225539315Aggressive male mating behavior can endanger speciesAggressive male mating behavior might well be a successful reproductive strategy for the individual but it can drive the species to extinction, an international research team headed by evolutionary biologist Daniel Rankin from the University of Zurich has demonstrated in a mathematical model.http://phys.org/news/2011-05-aggressive-male-behavior-endanger-species.html
Plants & Animals Mon, 16 May 2011 10:08:29 EDTnews224759278Mating mites trapped in amber reveal sex role reversalIn the mating game, some female mites are mightier than their mates, new research at the University of Michigan and the Russian Academy of Sciences suggests. The evidence comes, in part, from 40 million-year-old mating mites preserved in Baltic amber.http://phys.org/news/2011-02-mites-amber-reveal-sex-role.html
Plants & Animals Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:00:07 EDTnews218135311Night lights affect songbirds' mating lifeIn today's increasingly urbanized world, the lights in many places are always on, and according to a report published online on September 16 in of Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, that's having a real impact on the mating life of forest-breeding songbirds.http://phys.org/news/2010-09-night-affect-songbirds-life.html
Ecology Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:50:44 EDTnews203860226Whale sharks may produce many litters from one mating, paternity test showsHow do female whale sharks meet their perfect mates and go on to produce offspring? While little is known about the reproductive behavior of these ocean-roaming giants, a newly published analysis led by University of Illinois at Chicago biologist Jennifer Schmidt reveals new details about the mating habits of this elusive, difficult-to-study fish.http://phys.org/news/2010-08-whale-sharks-litters-paternity.html
Plants & Animals Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:42 EDTnews201890414Scientists identify nature's insect repellentsIn the battle between insect predators and their prey, chemical signals called kairomones serve as an early-warning system. Pervasively emitted by the predators, the compounds are detected by their prey, and can even trigger adaptations, such a change in body size or armor, that help protect the prey. But as widespread as kairomones are in the insect world, their chemical identity has remained largely unknown. New research by Rockefeller University's Joel E. Cohen and colleagues at the University of Haifa in Israel has identified two compounds emitted by mosquito predators that make the mosquitoes less inclined to lay eggs in pools of water. The findings, published in the July issue of Ecology Letters, may provide new environmentally friendly tactics for repelling and controlling disease-carrying insects.http://phys.org/news/2010-07-scientists-nature-insect-repellents.html
Ecology Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:00:10 EDTnews198500360Gene knockout makes female mice masculineThe mammalian fucose mutarotase enzyme is known to be involved in incorporating the sugar fucose into protein. Female mice that lack the fucose mutarotase (FucM) gene refuse to let males mount them, and will attempt copulation with other female mice. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Genetics created the FucM mouse mutants in order to investigate the role of this enzyme in vivo.http://phys.org/news/2010-07-gene-knockout-female-mice-masculine.html
Biotechnology Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:30:01 EDTnews197805787Unattractive guppies have better sperm(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists studying tropical guppies have discovered that the less colorful and attractive males have better quality sperm, while the attractive fish invest in their appearance at the expense of sperm quality.http://phys.org/news/2010-06-unattractive-guppies-sperm.html
Plants & Animals Mon, 07 Jun 2010 07:00:01 EDTnews195111421Scientists establish leech as model for study of reproductive behaviorResearchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have discovered that injecting a simple hormone into leeches creates a novel way to study how hormones and the nervous system work together to produce species-specific reproductive behavior.http://phys.org/news/2010-03-scientists-leech-reproductive-behavior.html
Cell & Microbiology Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:21:26 EDTnews187964470How the daisy got its spots... and whyDark spots on flower petals are common across many angiosperm plant families and occur on flowers such as some lilies, orchids, and daisies. Much research has been done on the physiological and behavioral mechanisms for how these spots attract pollinators. But have you ever wondered what these spots are composed of, how they develop, or how they only appear on some but not all of the ray florets?http://phys.org/news/2009-12-daisy.html
Plants & Animals Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:43:21 EDTnews180376920Researchers create first transgenic prairie volesResearchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have successfully generated the first transgenic prairie voles, an important step toward unlocking the genetic secrets of pair bonding. The future application of this technology will enable scientists to perform a host of genetic manipulations that will help identify the brain mechanisms of social bonding and other complex social behaviors. This advancement may also have important implications for understanding and treating psychiatric disorders associated with impairments in social behavior. The study is available in the December issue of Biology of Reproduction.http://phys.org/news/2009-12-transgenic-prairie-voles.html
Biotechnology Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:20:04 EDTnews178895408